ARRIVAL OF THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1861, 5 March 1889, Page 3

ARRIVAL OF THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

The Alameda arrived at Auckland yesterday with the San Francisco mail. The following is a summary of the intelligence received by her■ The Canadian Commercial Company has decided to form a connection through Canadian territory with the Company’s cable, passing through Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and connecting with the Canadian Pacific Telegraph system. John McDonald made a great speech to the people at Montreal on the subject of annexation on January 23, on the occasion of turning over the drill hall to the Government. “ Now,” he asked his audience, “What will you do with it when Sherman and Butterworth hand you over to the United States?” (Cries of “Fight with them,” and “Let them try.”) That’s the proper spirit, continued Sir John. His remarks were received with cheers. Later on in his speech the Premier’s laudation of Canada and her connection with Great Britain were received with immense cheering. The Canadian Liberals have decided to Advocate the Independence of the Dominion from the British connection. Despatches from Vienna, dated February 2, say that Bismarck is threatened with paralysis. His physicians insist on absolute rest, to which the Chancellor objects. A German spy named Schmidt was arrested on February 6th for taking Ipians of forts being built by France on the Italian Savoyard frontier. Unemployed laborers to the number of 10,000 rioted in Eome on February 8, looting the banks and shops, and smashing the windows and street lamps. They barricaded the streets, but the cavalry finally dispersed them. Socialism is said to be the cause of the trouble. Further outbreaks are ifdATCd Secret inquiries ordered by M. Floquet into the organisation of the Patriotic League resulted iu the discovery that the league has arsenals well supplied and ready equipped with Arms for 100,000 men. These arrangements were hidden under Gymnastic Societies and Rifle Associations. At short notice the Boulangists could organise a powerful nucleus of a revolution. Four brutal murders, all by the same persons, were reported on February 9 from Port Amausson, within 15 miles of Nancy, on the river Moselle. The victims included a shopkeeper and bis wife, who were both killed with an axe, a rich widow named Ferry, who was decapitated, and another named Francois, who was also beheaded. There is no clue to v the murderer. gaol at Downpatrick, while /guarded by soldiers and the police, was entered on February 7, and all the carbines were stolen from the armoury. The commander of the British man-of-war who recently boarded a French vessel whose papers were regular thirty miles north of Zanzibar outside the blockaded territory has, on the complaint of the French Government, been suspended. The approaching visit of the Shah ot Persia to England is causing much embarrassment to the Court officials. The Theatre Royal, Aldershot, was burned on February 8. The audience became panic stricken and many persons were injured. It is definitely settled that Smith is to fight Kilrain to a finish, under London prize ring rules, next October or November, £IOOO a-side. Mitchell . is to box Smith, ten rounds, for £IOOO a-side ai'id the boxing championship of the world in London or the provinces. Forfeit of' £SOO is being posted promptly. A meteor weighing several hundred pounds fell with a terrible crash m Chicago on February 3rd. Mrs Agnes Hmily Hope, daughter of Mr John Rowney, a wSR-to-do resident of Chicago, was recently granted divorce from John Hope ox San Francisco, portrait painter, the latter acknowledging i n correspondence wthat be has another wife in Dunedin. ■ Both wives have children by him. Hope excuses himself o.u the ground that he thought bis New Zealand wife was dead. Searle,the Australian champion oarsman, in a letter to Fox of New York, says that if Conn.or or anybody else wants to row him he must go to fbe Antipodes, as he (Searle) has no idea of leaving New South "Wales.

Mr 6. D. Brank, M.A., Lawrence High School, has bt'en appointed Assistant Inspector for the (Southland Education Diairict. The Eduction Board, in view of the improved finanv’i a l position, adopted a scale of paymenls to Committees analogous to that in force previov lß t 0 retrenchment movement. The annual session of th.s New Zealand University Senate opened av Auckland on Wednesday at the City Conned Chambers, the Chancellor, Sir James HecUPL U ing. In his opening address, tV e Chancellor detailed the proceedings t * ie University for the past twelve 270. and gave an abstract of the income expenditure, showing a credit balance o. • £l6O .Us 3d. The New Zealand District Board of the Hibernian Society opened their annual meeting at Auckland on Wednesday night at the Catholic Institute, when an officer’s

collar was presented to G. J. Sellars, of \ Christchurch, and gold crosses to K. P. jLjjonargau, of Christchurch, and P. Leahy, of Dunedin. The balance-sheet showed a sum to the credit of the funeral fund of £1696 7s 2d, whilst there was £36 9a 6d to the credit of incidental and management fund.

AN UP-COUNTRY BALL. In a book entitled “Kaipara,” giving the experience of a settler in North New Zealand, the following account appears of an up-country ball: — As the afternoon advanced guests began to arrive—some on horseback and some by boat. They all brought their evening clothes with them, not in portmanteaus, but in flour bags. It is most surprising to a new chum to see the manifold uses to which flour bags are put to here. Besides usually taking the place of portmanteaus, they are made into aprons, kitcken clothes, dusters, and even into trousers for boys. Not long ago I met a lad with a pair on. On one leg, printed in large red letters, was ‘ Wood’s silk dressed ’; and on the other ‘ Lamb’s Superfine.’ Almost every one bakes at home in the country, so flour bags are very plentiful. , ■ • When the time arrived for donning our dress clothes, I was ushered into a huge barn standing close to the house, where several washing basins, brushes and combs, looking-glasses and other toilet necessaries had been placed in position on the tables and boxes, Between thirty and forty gentlemen, in various stages of dressing were there, and jokes and repartee were being bandied about freely. ■ • • The settlers up here, and in the province of Auckland generally, are most enthusiastic about dancing. Young and old, married and single, all delight in it, and no opportunity for indulging in a dance is ever neglected. Flirtation I have never seen attempted, and conversation, indeed, is only sparsely carried on. It is in the dancing itself that the enjoyment is centred, and to it the attention of both ladies and gentlemen is almost wholly directed. An anxious expression is oft-times observable on the face of a male performer, as though his whole mind was concentrated in the effort to acquit himself well in the task before him; but though his countenance depict* no pleasureable emotion, he doubtless enjoys himself immensely. On the present occasion dancing was carried on with nnrelaxed vigor until past midnight, when a move was made to the supper room. The inner man refreshed dancing was resumed, and. day began to dawn before the party broke up. The greater part of the ladies slept at the house, though some rod.© straight away after donning their riding habits. The gentlemen, about forty in number, were accommodated in the barn with beds of soft bay and rugs. The case with which the ladies out here do without the paraphernalia considered in England as necessary in preparing for a ball struck me greatly at this my first colonial one. The dressing of a young lady at Home is a big affair, embracing an elaborate costume, an equally elaborate toilette, hair-dressing, and goodness knows what all, and concluding generally with an elaborate bill. Out here a light dress of muslin or some similar material, relieved with a little ribbon, and hair ornamented with a flower or two, constitutes the full evening costume of a young lady. She looks quite as nice as her semi-manufactured rival in England, and there is no prospect of a big bill for papa in the immediate future to mar her evening’* amusement.

The gentlemen ar® equally negligent. If they hare dress clothes they put them on; but if they have not, they appear iu whatever cut of black they happen to he the proprietors of, and enjoy themselves every bit as much as their swallow-tailed companions. ■